"So now, party platforms are legally binding on the U.S. government? Where in the constitution is that?"

-- Well, the State Department answers to the President, and we got all sorts of fawning and glowing commentary about how the President bravely stepped in to correct the technical oversight he had earlier approved. So, someone should tell the State Department what the President's position is.

Unless we're having factional turf wars in the executive branch like on Yes, Prime Minister.

As you know, the DNC claimed that the President himself took "decisive action" to clarify Jerusalem's status in the platform because that is our official foreign policy stance. Which is determined by the President.

So now you can argue that President Obama, bless his heart, somehow doesn't have anything to do with foreign policy. Or that he's just been too darn busy these last four years to call the State Department (decisively!) and notify them of their actual policy. Or that the whole "let's vote these vital items back into the platform" debacle was a complete lie as well as an incompetent sham.

I realize you don't have much to work with here, Freder. Take your time.

"The United States has a moral and legal obligation to maintain its Embassy and Ambassador in Jerusalem. Immediately upon taking office, the next Republican president will begin the process of moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Israel’s capital, Jerusalem."

This is another reason I tend to prefer speaking with Republicans to Democrats. Republicans have no problem admitting when their politicians screw up. Hell, I still pull the "Mitt is my first name" quote from time to time because it is funny. Republicans have no problem knocking their politicians and abandoning the ones who screw up too bad.

Democrats had a hagiography for a guy who left Mary Jo kopechne to die on a night celebrating women. When Clinton lies "It's just about sex!" When Ryan lies/makes a mistake about his running time, it is the end of the world.

Obama did not "cave" to Drudge and the right wing. He caved to moderates within his own party (you know, the roughly half in the audience that were voting to add it back in.) But, go ahead and keep thinking the right has that much sway over Obama.

The location of our embassies abroad will of necessity have to be negotiated with the governments of the respective countries to mutual satisfaction.It has no bearing on where those governments claim their capitals to be located.

Freder, it is very insulting to the State of Israel to insinuate that the location of their capital is subject to US approval!

It is not subject to US approval. It is subject to international approval. If the US declared that we are annexing Canada and moving the capital to Toronto (which is a much nicer city than Washington DC), I doubt many countries would recognize the new capital.

Yes, Freder, it is more like if Israel got a real good deal on a place in Alexandria, VA, and asked the State Dept. for permission to vacate the present bldg. in DC and move to Alexandria.The State Dept. might be a bit puzzled about the optics of the deal, but would no doubt say sure, if that's what you want, hop to it!

Huma I Put A Spell On You Abedin has Hillary in a trance, not that Hillary isn't more than willing to be under Huma's Saudi trance. Of course the Jews have to be taught a lesson. All the Harvard/Princeton/Yale International Studies grads who infest State are in complete agreement with Hillary on that, uh...policy. They can't really explain it but it puts their noses out of joint that those pushy pushy Jews refuse to submit to the wisdom of the International Community and fucking disappear.

The actual situation is probably more like if Israel did not move anything, but just took to referring to its New York facilities as "the Embassy" and ignored their DC facilities in official announcements.

It's word games that governments play for "diplomatic" reasons, but do not change the facts on the ground.

Recognize and support the established status of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, with free access to all its holy places provided to all faiths. As a symbol of this stand, the U.S. Embassy should be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem

Bill, Republic of Texas said...I dont think any US administration has ever recognized Jerusalem as the Capitol.

I have no sympathy for Obama or the Dems on this. They stepped on their dick by allowing the radicals to have too much power then over reacted.========================Agree on both counts. Pols have the freedom to be pandering bootlickers for Jewish money any day.The State Department, however, is bound by present diplomacy and negotiations NOT to go outside current position held since 1980 that such things as final agreed Borders, status of Jerusalem await all parties to formally sign on to it.

That said, the Dems tried having it both ways - keep Jewish money flowing in and keep the progressive Jewish media influencers and execs as loyal Obama lapdogs - while simultaneously trying to be popular with Muslims and Muslim nations.It is possible...but the Dems really booted how to finesse this at their Convention.

Hagar said...Did not rhe West-German government maintain that Bonn was just a temporary accommodation until Germany was re-united and it could move back to Germany's rightful capital, Berlin?Hagar said...The location of Israel's capital is, is for Israel to decide and no one else.

================Hagar, like most Americans spoonfed Zionist propaganda for 60 years, fails to understand that as a condition for Israel being recognized and admitted to the UN, they agreed to work out the Final Status of Jerusalem as an international city sacred to 3 religions - in formal negotiations.

Might I assume that if you believe in the right of Israelis to declare their capital anywhere they please on territory they control - that the Palestinians are also just as free to site their capital on their part of Jerusalem?

You are correect, Sir, and even on territory they do not control - either party.

I think that Ariel Sharon and his supporters have succeeded in scuttling any "two-state" solution, and that - barring accidents, which may well occur -the former Palestinian Mandate will stagger on as they are for at leat a couple of generations more until demographics take over, and they unite in one secular State of Israel.

C4 said...Might I assume that if you believe in the right of Israelis to declare their capital anywhere they please on territory they control - that the Palestinians are also just as free to site their capital on their part of Jerusalem?

modified by the statement "anywhere they please on territory they control"

sure

have peace talks, get the Israelis to cede part of Jerusalem to the Pali state and put their capital there.

Fuck up again, start another war and lose it, and expect Israeli tanks on the steps of the Pali capital

The inverse of my previous position:

"Today, Israel's capital is in Jersalem, but the ultimate status of Jerusalem is subject to peace talks, yada, yada"

C4, as we both know, boots on the ground determine possession, and possession is 9 tenths, etc, etc.

now the real sticking point wasn't in the Dem phrase. The sticky word = "undivided"

With the conventions over and the real conflict starting as both sides prepare for the first presidential debate, the party platforms of both the DNC and RNC only serve as the linings of bird cages, litter boxes, and puppy beds. Even the people who served on the respective party committees that formulated the platforms probably don't even remember what they wrote and approved.

I don't think there's anything new about this in presidential campaigns.

The State Department has recognized Tel Aviv as the capital of Israel for over 60 years.

Congress passed the Jerusalem Embassy Act in 1995, moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem by May 31, 1999. The Act was opposed successively by Presidents Clinton, Bush, and Obama. The US embassy remains in Tel Aviv.

The United States Department of State lists Jerusalem as the capital if Israel on its offical profile of Profile of Israel, see the "profile" under the map shown. The "footnote" refers to where various nations have their embassies, not where the capital is or is not.

Politicians when dithering on this topic are ignorant of official written designation or lying pricks or both...likely the latter.

"Hagar, like most Americans spoonfed Zionist propaganda for 60 years, fails to understand that as a condition for Israel being recognized and admitted to the UN, they agreed to work out the Final Status of Jerusalem as an international city sacred to 3 religions - in formal negotiations."

You have a link for that? I found a (non binding) resolution from the late 40's that Israel agreed to WHILE at war with her neighbors. And of course there were the wars after that. Or is there something else?